Wisconsin again finds secret video shows no election fraud

By TODD RICHMOND

May. 14, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Justice has again concluded that secretly recorded videos of a liberal activist reveal no evidence of election fraud.

The agency released investigative reports Monday that show the probe into recordings made by conservative group Project Veritas Action during the run-up to the 2016 election ended on May 2 with no crimes substantiated.

The investigative film group released footage in October 2016 of Scott Foval boasting about connections to the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Foval, who was based in Wisconsin, appears to say he had arranged for people to incite violence at Donald Trump rallies and that it would be easier to get away with voter fraud if out-of-state residents drive to the polls themselves rather than organizers busing them in.

Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel said shortly after the videos were released that he was worried they suggest election fraud. Word broke in April 2017 that the state Justice Department Criminal Litigation Director Roy Korte had concluded that January that the statements in the videos were vague and lack context. He said there was no basis to believe the videos show or suggest violations of state law.

James O'Keefe, the conservative activist who runs Project Veritas, accused Schimel of not mounting a serious investigation. Days later, Schimel said the investigation was ongoing.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the new investigative reports' content. The documents show special agents reviewed the videos again and found no evidence of criminal activity. An agent attempted to set up an interview with Foval, who had moved to Arizona, but the attempts were unsuccessful.

Investigators questioned the undercover Project Veritas Action operative who recorded the videos. The worker, whose name was redacted from the reports, acknowledged recording conversations with Foval. The reports don't include any conclusions investigators may have drawn from the interview.

Investigators also reviewed six other Project Veritas Action undercover videos of Robert Creamer, a Democratic strategist who heads Democracy Partners of Washington, D.C., shot in 2016. Those videos haven't been released.

The person recording the videos suggests moving workers who are in the U.S. illegally to Wisconsin and giving them paystubs and addresses of foreclosed properties so they can vote. Creamer did not agree to any of the proposals and talked about finding ways to get people to vote legitimately for Democrats, the reports said.

Department of Justice spokesman Johnny Koremenos declined comment, referring reporters back to the reports. Project Veritas Action spokesman Stephen Gordon said the group cooperated with the state agency and questioned why Foval didn't.

No listing could be immediately found for Foval in Arizona. A call to a possible listing for him in Wisconsin would not connect.